Don’t Want to Sell Single Digital Files? Don’t Offer Them.

How do you stop people from buying one digital file with no minimum orders?

Well, the way you stop that is not having the ability on your price list for them to order one digital file.

You can’t buy something someone is not selling, right? That’s the part you have to understand. They ask, “Can we just buy one digital file?” Your answer is, “Unfortunately, no, we don’t sell single digital files. We sell all the digital files or none of them. It just doesn’t make sense for us to let go of one digital file at a time.”

People may not like that answer, but it’s not in your price list, so you don’t offer it. That’s why on Sal’s pricing sheet it will say “Facebook ordered prints only.” That way somebody can’t come in and say, “Well, I want these all on Facebook for $99.” That’s just not even an option. Why? Because he doesn’t offer it. You can’t go into a vegan restaurant and request a steak. It doesn’t happen. The customer says, “Well, I want the steak.” The vegan restaurant will answer, “Well, we don’t fucking sell steak, so you can’t order one.”

Sal doesn’t sell digital files. He only offers them in his black label collection. If somebody tries to come in and say, “Well, I don’t want any of this other stuff. We just want digital files.” Sal’s answer is, “Unfortunately, we’re a full-service studio and we don’t just sell digital files. We want to put products on your walls, in your home.”

Guys, this is how we as photographers make our money. Sal has actually said that to clients, “So guys, I run a business, this is how I make my money.” He is not trying to hide anything. Can you go to Ruth’s Chris and just buy steak? Can you go to Chick-fil-A and just buy raw chicken? You can’t do it. Why? Because that’s how they make their money. Everybody understands this concept, you just have to be a little bit more confident in your delivery.